Computer modeling and simulation of subterranean conditions is a vital component of oil and gas exploration. Petroleum system modeling, also referred to as “charge modeling,” is the analysis of geological and geophysical data related to the petroleum potential of a subterranean prospect or play. Petroleum system models may be 1D, 2D, or 3D geologic models covering areas ranging from a single charge area for a prospect to mega-regional studies of entire basins.
Petroleum system models can predict if, and how, a reservoir has been charged with hydrocarbons, including the source and timing of hydrocarbon generation, migration routes, quantities, and hydrocarbon type. Petroleum system models include the quantitative analysis and simulation of geological processes in sedimentary basins on a geological timescale. It further encompasses geometric development of the basin, heat and pore water flow modeling with regard to sediment compaction and basin subsidence or uplift, and the temperature-controlled chemistry of mineral and organic matter changes. Petroleum system models may be used to simulate processes related to the generation, migration, accumulation and loss of oil and gas, thereby leading to an improved understanding and predictability of their distribution and properties.
Geomechanics is the science of the way rocks compress, expand and fracture. Over the geological timescale of a prospect or play, sediments are deposited, compacted, lithified, and deformed by tectonic events to produce layers of rocks with highly anisotropic and nonlinear mechanical characteristics. Where reservoirs exist, the fluids they contain, the reservoir rocks themselves, and the formations that surround them form intimately coupled systems.
Geomechanical models use calculated pressure, temperature, and saturation to calculate the behavior of the formation rock through geologic time. By relating rock stresses to reservoir properties, the geomechanical model enables the development of mechanical earth models that predict the geomechanical behavior of the formation during production and injection. The removal of hydrocarbons from a reservoir or the injection of fluids changes the rock stresses and geomechanics environment, potentially affecting compaction and subsidence, well and completion integrity, cap-rock and fault-seal integrity, fracture behavior, thermal recovery, and carbon dioxide disposal.
There remains a need for a computer modeling system and method that integrates the functionality of petroleum system modeling and geomechanical modeling for use in oil and gas exploration.